Shalena Cook Jones
Chatham County District Attorney
On May 17, 2022, District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones spoke at a hybrid live/Zoom meeting of Skidaway Hamilton and Abigails. She reminded us that Georgia and Chatham County had exceptionally high rates of incarceration and that people of color and people below the poverty line account for a high percentage of people in our prisons and jails.
She spoke of the huge backlog of cases. The backlog was 28,500 cases when she took office, and the backlog problem was compounded when the State Supreme Court suspended grand jury hearings and jury trials for two years because of COVID. Most cases are resolved by plea negotiation, but it is the threat of trials that make that possible. In a pre-COVID world, her 43 Assistant DA’s could dispose of 13,000-15,000 a year. The processes of the past no longer work. It is necessary to be far more efficient. Her office has been resolving many different cases, but have trying to rid the court system of cases that have low prosecutorial and low evidentiary value. (i.e. cases that are old and where witnesses have gone). Also, there has been a focus on cases that have low risk to public safety. She reminded us that every case has an associated victim. It is necessary to have closure on cases that really matter for those victims. In later Q&A, DA Jones was asked how she measured success in reducing the case load. She responded by saying that every department in the criminal justice system in Chatham County agreed to try to reduce its backlog by 20% in the current year. They are well on their way in completing that goal by using prosecutorial discretion… dismissing, diverting, and resolving cases. They will aim to reduce the backlog by another 20% in 2023.
DA Jones spoke about wanting a criminal justice system that can be operated equitably and fairly. She spoke about the importance of having a community where life can be enjoyed. She spoke of the need to stop gang/gun violence. She described a new program called the District Attorney Racketeering and Organized Crime Coalition (DA ROCC). DA ROCC brings all law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders together to share information and intelligence on ways to stop gun and gang violence. She said that key stakeholders often know more about what is going on in the community than does law enforcement and can help prevent crime from happening. She also spoke of overdose deaths from opioids and fentanyl. She is investing resources to help families of people who are suffering from addiction and in community education to educate youth on the dangers of opioids and fentanyl. DA Jones feels strongly that what her office is doing in the community is the real story behind her time as District Attorney. In later Q&A, she amplified on the new Show Us Your Guns Program. This program is aimed at young people between 16 and 24 who face charges of gun possession. If these young people have no prior violent offenses and have not been arrested for the use of a gun, they can avoid prosecution for possession by turning their guns in and going to the Empowerment Center for a needs assessment. Their issues can be addressed, and they can be given tools for a safer life. This program has been financed by a grant from the Vera Institute. DA Jones said that her office has had success in getting grant funding and partnerships for alternatives to incarceration.
DA Jones was asked about cash bail. She said that Sheriff Wilcher at the County Jail as a safety concern decided not to make arrests for most misdemeanors during COVID. It was found that in most cases it did not lead to further offenses and has been continued. On the negative side, SB 504, just passed in March, requires that bail be set for all 600+ felony offenses, rather than just 30 felony offenses previously. SB 504 will slow the criminal justice system significantly. The issue with bail is with people who cannot pay. Is it just to have different outcomes in criminal justice for those who can pay and those who cannot? Those who cannot pay sometimes take a plea deal because they want to get out of jail.
DA Jones was asked about the Family Justice Center. She replied that it is still operational but in skeletal form. It needs a group of concerned citizens to sit on the board. Indeed, when asked later “what can we do to help”, DA Jones said we need to come together as a community to help those in need, like victims of family violence at the Family Justice Center.
DA Jones closed by stressing the importance of keeping lines of communication open and welcomed the opportunity to come again to speak to our group.
